Holding device for coils



Nov. 18, 1924- 1,516,331

J. c. CATLETT ET AL HOLDING DEVICE FOR COILS i 5 INVENTORJ. 5

Q W Z W j M M f M B Y A TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,516,331 PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH C. CATLETT AND EDWARD F. NELSON, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, AS-

SIGNORS TO I. R. NELSON CO., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

HOLDING DEVICE FOR COILS.

Application filed August 4, 1923. Serial No. 655,650.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that we, JOSEPH C. GATLETT and EDWARD F. NELSON, bothcitizens of the United States, and residents of East Orange,

5 in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Holding Devices for Coils, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to reels or holders for coils of wire, cord orthe like, one object of the invention being to provide a device of thischaracter embodying novel and improved features of construction whichwill prevent accidental unwinding of the wire or cord and from which adesired amount of wire or cord can be unwound without the possibility ofthe remainder of the same unwinding itself or becoming entangled byspringing off the reel when the end is loosened or when the reel isdropped or laid down.

Another object is to provide a device of the character describedincluding a body portion having a plurality of series of fingersprojecting from its periphery, each of said series including a pluralityof peripherally spaced fingers alternate ones ofwhich are offset fromopposite sides of the plane of said body portion, to hold a coil ofwire, string or the like between them and permit said wire to be unwoundfrom said coil one strand at a time without disturbing the remainder ofthe coil.

Further objects are to provide such a de- Vice in which said fingers areso arranged as to prevent accidental unwinding of said coil and yetpermit easy winding of wire or the like on said body portion betweensaid fingers and unwinding of said wire or the like one strand at a timefrom said coil between said fingers; to provide such a device formed ofone piece of resilient sheet metal and having said fingers integral withsaid body portion; to provide a device of this character which is simpleand inexpensive in construction, and to obtain other results andadvantages as may be brought out by the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which the same referencecharacters designate corresponding and like parts,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a reel or holder for wire or the likeembodying our invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof with the coil removed, and

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1and showing a coil of wire in position on the reel.

In the specific embodiment of the invention shown on the drawings, thereference character 1 designates the body portion of the reel which ispreferably formed of resilient sheet metal and provided with apluralityof equidistantly spaced radial arms 2. Each of said arms is formed atits outer end with a plurality ,of integral fingers 3 alternate ones ofwhich are offset from opposite sides of the plane of the body portion,as clearly shownin Figures 2 and 3, said fingers being preferablylongitudinally curved to receive a coil 4 of wire or the like betweenopposite ones thereof. These fingers may be economically constructed byslitting the arms 2 longitudinally and bending the tongues formed by theslits to the desired shape. The outer extremities of the fingers arepreferably formed with curved noses 5, the said noses of the fingers atone side of the plane of the body portion being curved outwardly inopposite directions from the noses on the fingers at the opposite sideof the plane of the body portion to provide a mouth or guideway forguiding a strand of wire or the like between the fingers. In the presentinstance three fingers are shown on each of the arms 2, the two outsideones of said fingers being ofl'set at one side of the body portionandthe intermediate finger being offset from the opposite side of the planeof the body ortion. The portions of the fingers of eac arm at the innerends of the noses 5 are in substantially the same plane and preferablyin the plane of the body portion, so as to normally restrain a singlestrand of Wire or the like from passing outwardly from between thefingers.

The wire, string or the like to be mounted on the coil may be woundthereon in the usual manner, the convolutions of the coil passingbetween the noses 5 of the fingers of each arm 2 and into the spacebetween the fingers, the fingers springing outwardly to permit the Wireto pass therebetween, and this winding is continued until the spacebetween the fingers is substantially filled. The body portion ispreferably provided with a tongue 6 stamped from one side thereof toreceive the free end of the wire or string between it and the bodyportion, as clearly shown in Figure 1, and one edge of said tongue maybe sharpened to form a knife edge 7 for cutting or breaking a length ofwire from the coil. After the coil has once been wound on the bodyportion between the plurality of series of fingers 3, it will beobserved that the coil is positively held in position on the bodyportion and can be removed only one convolution at a time, the singlestrand or convolution of the wire or string being forcibly pulledoutwardly between the noses 5 of the fingers to unwind the wire from thecoil, I the opposite fingers springing outwardly in opposite directionsto permit the Wire to pass therebetween. After a convolution or strandof wire has passed between the fingers of one of said series, the saidfingers spring back to their normalpositions to prevent the remainder ofthe coil from becoming accidentally unwound or tangled. After thedesired length of wire or string has been removed from the coil, the

wire or string is slipped beneath the tongue 7 and the free end forcedagainst the knife edge 7 which simultaneously breaks ofi the desired lenth of wire or string and secures the remaining end beneath the tongue 6.

Preferably the body portion is provided with a suitable handle or knob 8arranged axially of the body portion which facilitates the unwinding ofthe wire from the coil, the body portion being preferably rotatable onthe .handle 8.

It will be understood that any number of series of fingers may beutilized on the body portion and that each series may be com-- prised ofany number of fingers. Also, the shape and size of the fingers and thebody portion may be varied, and while we have shown the fingers formedintegral with the body portion, we also contemplate the formation of thefingers separate from the body portion but rigidly secured thereto. Itwill therefore be understood that many modifications and changes can bemade. in the details of construction of the reel or holder withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention, and we do notdesire to be understood as limiting ourselves except as required by thefollowing claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim is:

1. A device of the character described including a body portion having aplurality of series of' resilient fingers thereon, each of said seriesincluding a plurality of opposed fingers to receive a coil of wire orthe like between them and ermit said wire or the like to be unwound romsaid coil without bodily removing said coil.

operate with the others of said fingers to rep celve and support a coilof wire or the like between them. 1

3. A device of the character described including a body portion having aplurality of fingers on its periphery, certain of which are offset fromone side of said body portion and others of which are offset fromtheopposite side of the body portion, and portions of all of saidfingers being disposed in substantially a common plane, whereby saidfingers are adapted to receive and support a coil of wire or. the likebetween them and permit said wire or the like tov be wound upon orunwound from said coil only one strand at a time. A

4:. A device of \the character described including a body portion havinga plurality of fingers on its periphery, alternate ones of which areofiset from opposite sides of the plane of said body portion and adaptedto.

cooperate with each other to receive and hold a coil of wire or the likebetween them.

5. A device of the character described including a body portion formedof resilient sheet metal and having a plurality of integral fingers onits periphery, alternate ones of which are ofiset from opposite sides ofsaid body portion, correspondin portions of the outer ends of all ofsaid ngers being disposed in substantially a common plane.

6. A device of the character described including a body portion formedof resilient sheet metal and having a plurality of integral fingers onits perlphery alternate ones of which are ofiset from opposite sides ofsaid body portion, corresponding portions of the outer ends of all ofsaid fingers being disposed in substantially a common plane, andalternate ones of said fingers having their outer ends curved outwardlyinopposite directions to guide wire or the like into the space betweensaid fingers to wind said wire or the like on said body portion.

7. A device of the character described including a body portion formedof sheet metal and having a lurality of series of integral fingers formeby slitting said body portion inwardly from the periphery thereof, eachof said seriesiinc-luding two fingers offset from the same side of saidbody portion and an intermediate finger offset from the other side ofsaid body portion to receive and support a coil of wire or the likebetween them.

JOSEPH C. CATLETT. v EDWARD F. NELSON.

